


The Ghastly Cleveland Torso Murders

by QQI25



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Serial Killers, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-25 10:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13831932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QQI25/pseuds/QQI25
Summary: He was losing it. How else could he explain not killing Goldsworth yet? Being caught up in whatever you could call their constant struggle for dominance over the other? He felt numb. How had he sunken this low?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Horrors of Pennhurst Asylum](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885039) by [icantwritegood](https://archiveofourown.org/users/icantwritegood/pseuds/icantwritegood). 



> so the idea of having Ricky Goldsworth and C.C. Tinsley as characters and their relationship was definitely icantwritegood on here's idea, and when i watched ghastly cleveland torso murders i just thought of ricky and cc! i definitely asked permission first as well. contrary to their username, they are an amazing author and u shld definitely go check their stuff out. oh yeah, and if you want a better grasp on their relationship, go read The Horrors of Pennhurst Asylum by icantwritegood!! i don't think i will go quite to tht extent, but yeah that's a good idea of wht it'll basically be like. but also just read all their stuff bc it's rly well-written and well-developed.

They've moved now. Tinsley didn’t mind, didn't think he could've stayed There much longer anyway. Goldsworth hadn't told him much, just that they were moving to Cleveland. He hadn't left room for argument either. Not that Tinsley was in the mood for that nowadays. He was losing it. If he didn’t think so before, he definitely thought so now. How else could he explain his almost willingness to clean up Goldsworth’s shit? To follow Goldsworth’s instructions? He’d already demonstrated that he could have power over Goldsworth if he really wanted to, but if he was honest, manipulating someone in that way felt immoral, and he’d hold onto whatever morals he had left. So it was do as Goldsworth said. Right now, that meant stay in the same place so they could protect each other. And clean up after him. 

They laid low for a while before Goldsworth did anything. Then a string of murders started popping up, murders unrelated to him. The bodies had been decapitated, separated at the torso, and, when it applied, castrated. Goldsworth, never one to be “left out of the fun”, as he’d phrased it, had killed another person, decapitating him and stabbing him multiple times. He called Tinsley up gleefully to make sure his mess was cleaned up. There wasn't anyone nearby to incriminate, and Tinsley didn't do that anymore, anyway, so he did his job by making sure the victim couldn't be identified. It wasn’t hard. 

\---

“We’re going to a bar,” Goldsworth announced cheerily when he entered the kitchen. 

“Alright,” Tinsley replied tonelessly. 

“Lighten up! It’ll be fun! That’s what going there’s for! Having fun!” 

“Yeah yeah,” Tinsley muttered under his breath. He went anyway because Goldsworth said so. 

The bar they were at was in a place called “The Roaring Thirds”. The Roaring Thirds was a very popular spot, because it had bars and brothels. People, it seemed, were pathetic. What did that say about Goldsworth and him? The same, he supposed. No person was above that. Goldsworth was pathetic because he murdered people and resorted to threatening Tinsley to make sure he stuck around. He, himself, was pathetic because he let Goldsworth threaten him. But he didn’t have a life anymore. He didn’t have anything to return to. So he might as well do as he was told. 

They strolled up to the bar where many others were hanging about and Goldsworth ordered drinks for them. While they waited, Goldsworth turned to make conversation with the person next to him. Tinsley tuned them out, an easy task, but tuned back in when the person looked like there were emotions he was barely concealing. 

“How’s your practice going, doctor? Your . . . appointments? Or is experiment a better word for them?” 

“What are you implying, sir?”

“Nothing,” was Goldsworth’s innocent reply. “Unless there’s something that needs to be implied?” 

“Of course not.” 

“I thought not. Shame. I’m not here to judge, really. In fact, I thought I might be able to help.”

“And how would you do that? You don’t look like a doctor.”

“Tsk tsk. You don’t look like a doctor either. Hanging around these parts. Francis.” The man, Francis, was now unnerved. 

“How do you know my name?” 

“Don’t worry about that. Why don’t we go back to your place and have a little chat?” Goldsworth turned to look at Tinsley inquiringly. He sighed and abandoned hopes of getting a break, then nodded. It didn't escape Francis’s notice. 

“Who is he? Who are you guys? What do you want from me?” He backed away, and Goldsworth placed a gentle hand on his back, bringing him closer to them. 

“Your place,” he reminded simply. Francis did not look happy at that, but he complied, leading the way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goldsworth and Tinsley go to Francis's place.

When he walked into Francis’s place, the first thing he noticed was the smell, that underlying, medicinal smell of disinfectant. The place was tidy and tiny. Very nondescript. There was no way a person could be this neat, unless they were hiding something. He wondered what Francis’s secret was. He wondered how Goldsworth knew it, because there was no doubt in his mind that Goldsworth knew. 

“Please, sit,” Francis said tightly, gesturing towards his couch and sitting in the armchair. Goldsworth sat close to the armchair, and he sat on Goldsworth’s right side. 

“Thank you. I’m sure you must have questions,” Goldsworth replied pleasantly. Yeah. No kidding. Like he didn’t just threaten Francis. 

“Who are you?”

“Oh, don’t worry. We’re not here for a fight. We’re just here today for a chat. We’re not the law enforcement, if that’s what you were worried about.” Goldsworth had a glint in his eye and Francis let out a miniscule breath of relief. 

“What do you want to chat about, then?”

“I’m sure you know exactly what I want to chat about.”

“And if I say I don’t?”

“Then I’ll let you know. Nice funeral home you’ve got across from you. Nice, cheap practice you’ve got here. Very clean. Very safe.” And just like that, Francis was back on guard and looking very shifty. 

“What do you mean by that?” Goldsworth’s demeanor changed. Francis was in for it now.

“Look, buddy,” he stated tersely. “I’m not stupid and I’d hope you’re not stupid. You’re not fooling _any_ one here with your little just-a-doctor act. You give yourself away. Your experiments might be methodical and careful and neat and precise, but you aren’t. You leave tracks all over. You are very easy to follow. Drop the act and fucking work with me here.” Oh. Francis here was the “Mad Butcher” the police were on the hunt for.   
“Okay, you caught me. What do you want?”

“Why do you do that? What makes you kill them? And the way you do?”

“Again, I don’t know you. I don’t have to divulge this information to you.” Goldsworth pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a breath. 

“I’m done. I’m done with you. Tonight. We’ll be coming again.” He gestured with his head towards the door and Tinsley followed them. 

When they got back home, Tinsley slammed the door and they hung their coats on the rack. 

“What the fuck was that? That was stupid and reckless. You're lucky _Francis_ was acting like a goddamn moron,” Tinsley shouted at Goldsworth. Goldsworth’s nostrils flared. 

“Don't question what I'm doing. Might I remind you that _I'm_ the one of us who kills people for fun?”

“Might I remind you that _he_ kills people seemingly for fun as well? I can’t stop you from killing people, but dragging me into your fucking shit like this? That was stupid. Dangerous. I didn’t fucking sign up for _this_ bullshit. Next time you wanna pull a move like that, fine. But you’re gonna let me know before we fucking meet up with people dubbed names like _Mad fucking Butcher_.” 

“Fine. I'll tell you the plan next time. Buzzkill.” 

“Thank you. Was that so hard? And sorry if I care about my fucking life.” 

“Whatever.” 

“Stop acting like a child, Goldsworth.” 

“Stop telling me what to fucking do. Fuck off.” 

“Ha! Child.” Tinsley shouted triumphantly. “I’m going to sleep. Okay, Wicky?” At the dangerous glare in Goldsworth’s eyes, Tinsley hurried to the bathroom to get ready for bed, finally deriving some joy out of his time here.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goldsworth decides they're gonna team up with Francis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys my updates are p short but this is a lil shorter than usual but thts okay!! this is my fave fic rn to write nd i'm esp excited bc i found this website!!! https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-read/articles/case-closed- it has an interview w james badal, as well as info on the suspects, the investigators, AND the victims!! how cool is that?!??!?! before i found tht i used http://www.clevelandpolicemuseum.org/collections/torso-murders/ which also had good info, but it was more like in-depth ig on the victims

“Here's the plan,” Goldsworth declared the next morning as they ate. “I wanna team up with Francis.” 

“Are you crazy?”

“Are you done yet? Is it a problem if I am?” When Tinsley didn't reply, Goldsworth continued talking. “Think about it. We don't have anything to lose. I don't know why _he's_ killing people, but we both know why _I_ do. If we team up, we'll be harder to catch. It's logical. It makes sense.” 

“We know virtually _no_ thing about this Francis person. What if he decides he wants to turn on you and kill you?” 

“Oh, he can try,” Goldsworth replied, chuckling darkly. 

“Fine. Have it your way. When are we going to meet up with him again?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe tonight?”

“What the fuck? You don’t know?”

“Relax. We have all the time in the world. Calm down. Besides, we have to wait for a good time to do it. And he probably won’t be hanging around the bars anymore.” 

“We know where he fucking lives.” 

“I like it! I like it! So we’re in agreement that we should scare him a little, stay in our car by his place?” 

“Sure. Why the fuck not,” Tinsley replied sarcastically. Goldsworth clapped his hands together gleefully.

“Great! Shall we do it in the daytime or nighttime?” 

“I don’t know. You’re the mastermind,” Tinsley said tiredly. 

“Great! Whenever we can! However long we need to! It's a plan!” They both stood up and moved away from the table. 

“I love it!” Goldsworth was exclaiming repeatedly, more to himself than anything.


End file.
